LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 3 June 1933, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A young Inglewood man, R. Winter, was admitted to the New Plymouth hospital yesterday with a compound fracture of the right ankle, sustained in a motor-cycle accident near Inglewood on Thursday night.

“Dairy farming these days is a cow of a job, but there is another vocation that is also a cow of a job and that is being Mayor of Stratford at the present time, said Mr. J. W. McMillan at a Stratford function last night.

In giving evidence in the Supreme Court at Auckland a sharebroker stated it was a usual practice for company promoters to induce prominent persons to become directors of new ventures in order that their names might be used to further advance the enterprises. “These directors are usually called ’guinea pigs,’ ” remarked Mr. Justice Smith. A keen demand exists for improved farm lands in the Tauranga district. Half-a-dozen dairying properties have changed hands during the last week, the buyers being from outside districts. Many town properties have changed ownership during the past few months, and building is going on steadily. With only 3000 tons of phosphates remaining in her holds the tramp steamer Parracombe was very high out of the water when she left New Plymouth late yesterday afternoon for Wanganui. The screw was more than a third out of water, and caused a whirl of spray at the stern. The vessel presented an almost ludicrous sight with its patchily painted sides, rakish funnel and wildly threshing propeller. Mr. R. L. Lowe, New Plymouth, has been appointed conductor of the Feilding Brass Band and will leave to take up his appointment on Wednesday. Prior to the amalgamation of the New Plymouth Citizens’ and Taranal. Regimental bands, Mr. Lowe was for ten years conductor of the former. He has always taken a keen interest in band affairs and he has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Albion Football Club. It is surprising the number of pertsons who do not know the engine number of their motor-cars. Some do not even know that all engines are numbered. An example of this ignorance was reported in Wellington on Wednesday, when a woman rushed up to a traffic inspector and said: “Inspector, can you tell me the engine number of a 1928 model ?” She was amazed to find out that engines were numbered individually, and not according to the year of their manufacture.

A novel cycle, designed by its constructor as a motor-cycle but classified with motor lawnmowers for purposes of registration, has been built by Mr. J. Gibbons, of Onehunga. The machine, which was completed at a cost of about £5O, is powered with a tiny engine also built by Mi-. Gibbons. Although the cycle is little bigger than a child’s miniature bicycle, it is said to be capable of about 40 miles an hour on a smooth road, and does about 400 miles to a gallon of petrol. The tyres, which were imported from England, were made for the wheels of a glider.

An action alleging misrepresentation over the purchase of a farm commenced in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday would probably have lasted two long days, judging by the number of witnesses likely to be called by both sides. After one witness had been heard the parties conferred, a settlement was reached, and the allegations were unreservedly withdrawn. The Court had waited patiently for the announcement from the luncheon adjournment until 4.45 p.m. “I am glad it has been settled,” then remarked Mr. Justice Reed facetiously. “I should have hated to keep you here to-night and to-morrow.” “Tomorrow” was the King’s Birthday. The limitations to be placed on medical testimony regarding the mental fitness of a person to make a will were laid down by the Chief justice, Sir Michael Myers, in the Supreme Court at Auckland. “I will not allow you to express an opinion about his testamentary capacity,” said His Honour to a witness who was under examination. “No matter how eminent a medical practitioner may be, it is for the judge to decide testamentary capacity. It is an inference from matters of fact, and it is a question of law. Witnesses may be called to give evidence in regard to matters from which the inference arises, but it is for the judge to draw, the inference and not for any witness.” An order has been • placed in England by Mr. J. Muggeridge, entomologist at the Plant Research Station of the Department of Agriculture, for a supply of the insect parasites which have been found to prey on the white butterflies. Mr. Muggeridge was able to place the order as a result of receiving £lOO from the Hawke’s Bay district. The amount was subscribed in the district and donated to the Plant Research Station conditionally on the money being used to combat the white butterflies in the districts where the money was raised. Last year 100,000 larval parasites were imported and liberated. This year it is expected that a similar number will be liberated in addition to 30,000 pupal parasites.

A speaker at Mr. H. E. Blyde’s meeting at Ne.w Plymouth yesterday morning suggested as a means of overcoming the quota, that the moisture content of butter exported from Nev/ Zealand should be reduced say 6 per cent, and that the butter should be reworked on arrival in England, the 6 per cent, of water added and the butter made up into pats for putting on the market. Mr. Biyde agreed that the proposal, to pat the butter was well worth considering as indeed every avenue should, be exhaustively explored by the Dairy Produce Board which should be able to say whether the schemes were feasible or not. He did not think, however, that the proposal would affect the quota. A speaker remarked that if 6 per cent, less water were incorporated as suggested, it would mean much less freight and insurance to pay.

The good fortune of holding a half share in a Calcutta sweepstake ticket on Statesman, the horse which ran third in the Derby, fell to the lot of Lieutenant H. G. C. Merritt, of the 14th Sikh Regiment, India, and son of Mr. H. T. Merritt, of Auckland. Originally the holder of the ticket, he sold a half share for £l2OO. Information that Lieutenant Merritt had drawn Statesman in the sweepstake, and that he had sold half a share, was received in Auckland prior to the race being run. No advice has been received Since the result was known, and the assumption is that he still retained his half interest in the ticket. The amounts of the prizes are not known, as they vary according to the amount of the subscriptions, but in the past the third prize has been in the vicinity of £15,000.

The Taranaki Automobile Association received word yesterday that the FoxtonLevin road was flooded and would be closed for four days.

The New Plymouth Wrestling Association has arranged a match between Harry Mamos and “Whiskers” Blake to be held at New Plymouth on June 17. There is a big gap between a cotton velveteen at 2/11 a yard, and a real silk ring velvet at 12/6 and 14/6 per yard, yet both these lines are selling very freely at Scanlan’s, Melbourne Corner. Velveteens and Ring Velvets are all the rage this season for evening frocks and capes, and the colours are simply gorgeous, while black is always right Both fabrics are 36 inches wide.*